Les Plus Grands Succès de Boris Vian
This 1996 Boris Vian songbook brings French chansons together in a practical piano, vocal and guitar-chord format. Published by Warner Chappell and TUTTI, the softcover volume contains 80 complete pages. Printed French lyrics accompany the musical notation.
The title, Les plus grands succès de Boris Vian, appears above a photographic portrait on the cover. Inside, the collection presents a varied selection of songs associated with Vian. It offers a focused introduction to his repertoire without attempting to collect every song.
French Chansons in Score
The contents include Le Déserteur, La Complainte du progrès, La Java des bombes atomiques and J’suis snob. Other titles include Je bois, Cinématographe, Fais-moi mal, Johnny and On n’est pas là pour se faire engueuler.
La Java des bombes atomiques carries lyrics by Boris Vian and music by Alain Goraguer. Its printed arrangement combines the sung melody with piano accompaniment. French words sit beneath the vocal line, keeping text and music together.
Oh ! (C’est divin) also appears in the collection, with Vian’s French adaptation credited above the score. Guitar chord symbols accompany the notation. These give guitarists a harmonic guide rather than a separate tablature part.
A Practical Musical Layout
The score pages use black notation against light paper, with clearly separated musical systems. Piano parts sit beneath the vocal melody. Chord names, lyrics and expressive markings provide additional guidance through the arrangements.
The contents page lists song titles with their starting pages. A second title list appears on the plain rear cover. Together, these make the repertoire easy to browse before opening a particular arrangement.
Portrait Cover and Slim Format
The cover pairs a black-and-white portrait with a reddish-brown filmstrip and large blue lettering. A warm cream background softens the monochrome photograph. The image gives the volume a distinctive visual identity alongside its musical contents.
Measuring approximately 23 × 30 × 0.5 cm, the book has a slim softcover format. It suits a French chanson collection or a musician’s working library. The combination of lyrics and accompaniment also invites close reading of the songs.
Condition
Good overall, with light cover wear and slight rubbing along the spine edge. The cover remains clean, with no tears. Interior pages are bright and readable, with slight curling near the binding.
The softcover binding is intact. All 80 pages are present, with no interior tears or missing pages.
Key Details
Title: Les plus grands succès de Boris Vian
Artist and lyricist: Boris Vian
Publishers: Warner Chappell Music France and TUTTI
Year: 1996
Language: French lyrics
Format: Softcover songbook
Scoring: Voice and piano with guitar chord symbols
Selected songs: Le Déserteur, La Java des bombes atomiques, La Complainte du progrès, J’suis snob
Pages: 80, complete
Dimensions: Approximately 23 × 30 × 0.5 cm
Cover: Photographic portrait with filmstrip motif
Condition: Good, with light cover wear and slight page curl
SKU: 2C166
Why It’s Special
This collection brings familiar Vian titles into a single, readable musical volume. Its portrait cover gives it visual character. Inside, the combination of French lyrics, piano accompaniment and chord symbols keeps the emphasis on the songs themselves.
